Israel

From May 12th to 14th, Brussels Expo hosted the ITEC exhibition (International Training and Education Conference) the annual top event for companies in the military training and simulation business. On the first day of the event, Vredesactie activists went in undercover and revealed controversial links. On May 13th, a delegation of politicians visited ITEC to make clear that an event like this is not welcome.


Booming business

On 26 April 2009, six members of WRI's Israeli affiliate New Profile were detained by Israeli police, their homes raided, and their computers, and also computers of partners, seized. Among those detained was also Sergeiy Sandler, a member of the WRI Council and Executive Committee. All those detained were interrogated at Ramat Hachiyal police station in the Yarkon Region of the police. After the interrogation, all five were released, but only after agreeing to bail conditions which do not allow them to contact each other in the coming thirty days. The computers of partners were returned, but not the computers of those detained. Other Israeli activists have been summoned to report to the same police station the following day (27 April 2009). According to New Profile, 10 other activists have received summons to appear at a police station for interrogation.

On 26 April 2009, five members of WRI's Israeli affiliate New Profile were detained by Israeli police, their homes raided, and their computers, and also computers of partners, seized. Among those detained was also Sergeiy Sandler, a member of the WRI Council and Executive Committee. All those detained were interrogated at Ramat Hachiyal police station in the Yarkon Region of the police. After the interrogation, all five were released, but only after agreeing to bail conditions which do not allow them to contact each other in the coming thirty days.

The Police Detained Political Activists from Ramat Hasharon, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Beer Sheva

“One who believed that criminal cases due to political activism are conjured up “only” for Arab citizens discovers that s/he is also liable to be detained due to the expression of opinions concerning the failures of the society and rule in Israel.” Amongst the detainees – a 70 year old ceramic artist, the daughter of a family of “Righteous among the Nations” from Holland, a grandmother to six Israeli grandchildren

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations announces that Israel "would grant the right to those who object on conscientious grounds to serving in the military, alternative civilian service".

A/HRC/10/29

Report of the Human Rights Council on its tenth session

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"461. Israel had also taken upon itself to promote the following items from the Council's recommendations:"

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"(h) Granting the right to those who object to serve in the army on conscientious grounds to serve instead with a civilian body independent of the military, such as in the form of the newly established and strengthened Public Commission for National Civil Service;"

Source: http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G09/174/51/PDF/G0917451.pdf?…

The Coalition of Women for Peace (http://www.coalitionofwomen.org) in Israel has launched in January 2009 a ground breaking new database of companies directly involved in the Israeli occupation. This online database (see: www.whoprofits.org) reflects an on-going grassroots investigation effort by The Coalition of Women for Peace, a leading Israeli feminist peace organisation dedicated to ending the occupation and reaching a just peace in Israel/ Palestine.

The latest episode of criminal aggression by Israeli forces in Gaza killed 1,330 Palestinians and injured 4,500: it destroyed about 5,000 homes and severely damaged 17,000 severely damaged. These crimes have been executed using technology of war for bombardment from air and land, weapons which have been imported from a number of countries and produced by a large number of war profiteers.

A/HRC/10/76

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"41. Slovenia noted with concern the information in the OHCHR compilation and stakeholders’ reports on the refusal to the right to conscientious objection, part of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and on imprisonment in this regard. It asked if Israel intended to review this, and recommended ceasing imprisoning conscientious objectors and considering granting the right to conscientious objection to serve instead with a civilian body independent of the military."

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II. CONCLUSIONS AND/OR RECOMMENDATIONS

21 activists of Anarchists against the Wall were arrested on Friday while blocking the entrance to the Sde Dov base of the Israeli Air Force.

The activists laid down on the road leading into the base, pretending to be dead, in protest of the killing in Gaza.

After four prison terms, Israeli conscientious objector Mia Tamarin was finally discharged from the Israeli military. She received a "profile 21", a code used by the military of Israel to classify Israelis who are deemed to have physical or psychological disabilities making them permanently unfit for military service.

With her discharge from military service, the vicious cycle of imprisonment and refusal did now come to an end.

The Jewish-American group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) has announced a solidarity campaign with the Shministim, a group of Israeli high school students who refuse to serve in the Israeli military because of the occupation of Palestinian Territories. Historian Howard Zinn, a member of JVP’s Advisory Board, asked tens of thousands of JVP supporters to help secure thousands of letters to the ISraeli Minister of Defense on behalf of the Shministim. The Shministim will hold a Day of Action in Tel Aviv on December 18th to demand release of conscientious objectors who have been imprisoned.